Writing in a personal capacity to share views, information and resources for teachers, trade unionists and campaigners in London - and beyond!

Saturday, 20 October 2012

October 20 - union leaders call for united strike action

Over 150,000 people marched through London today in a huge demonstration against cuts and austerity. While the numbers were not on the massive scale of eighteen months ago, this was an important show of strength from which to rebuild united national strike action.

But many on the march didn't just want to have a parade, they wanted to know where the movement was going after today.

Leaflets from the National Shop Stewards Network calling for a 24-hour General Strike against austerity were eagerly taken from me by trade unionists from right across the many different unions on the march.

Significantly, at the closing rally in Hyde Park, it was not only RMT General Secretary Bob Crow and PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka that made speeches calling for united strike action, Len McCluskey, UNITE General Secretary, also backed calls for building a general strike. In contrast, New Labour leader Ed Milliband was booed by large sections of the crowd angry at his Party's lack of any clear commitment to opposing cuts and austerity.

The speeches by Bob Crow and Mark Serwotka, along with other footage of the march, can be heard on this youtube video: http://youtu.be/BdsJG9mAflY

There was a keen interest in socialist ideas as well - I sold over twenty copies of a special demonstration edition of 'the Socialist' paper, also calling for a 24-hour General Strike - and, amongst other things, carrying an appeal for solidarity from South Africam mineworkers. See the issue online on http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/738

Martin Powell-Davies

* Brought up as a socialist by parents who hungered for what is right * One adopted grandfather left me a double-barrelled name, the other his name on a 1926 General Strike black-list * Joined the Labour Party as a teenager, left it when it abandoned the values and traditions of so many who built it in the past * Given a comprehensive education at St.Andrew's, Leatherhead * First-class degree from King's College, Cambridge, for those who like that kind of thing * Secondary science teacher in London 1986-2015 * Lewisham NUT Secretary 1993-2015, organiser of many campaigns to defend teachers and education * Living in Sydenham since 1997, father of four who were all so well-supported by Sedgehill School * Member of the NUT National Executive 2010-15 * NUT London Regional Secretary 2016 - * Proud to have been name-checked by Gove for saying that his 'reforms' could make teaching unbearable * Member of the CWI, following its global struggles via http://www.socialistworld.net * Candidate for TUSC in Lewisham West & Penge, 2015 * Member of Penge CC, often a 'Middle Aged Man In Lycra' on Sundays